PATNA: Highway projects worth Rs 30,000 crore are underway in Bihar, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.
The minister was addressing a virtual event after inaugurating the Koilwar bridge over river Sone in Bihar, built at a cost of Rs 266 crore.
The three-lane 1.5 km-long structure is part of a six-lane bridge being built in place of the existing 138-year-old two-lane bridge for both rail and road traffic. The bridge is a major road for transport between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Gadkari informed that road works worth Rs 30,000 crore are ongoing in Bihar. "A sum of Rs 4,600 crore has been released for compensation against land acquisitions," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.
Under the PM's package, which involves 24 projects of 1,459 km, work is on over 875 km," the minister said.
Gadkari further said the existing two-lane old bridge for both rail and road traffic is about 138–year-old. “A six-lane bridge is being made in parallel to it and of which, a three-lane carriageway has been opened for public. After completion of the other carriageway, the traffic on NH-922 and NH-30 will ease substantially”, he said.
Gadkari announced that the DPR (Detail Project Report) of the proposed four-lane Muzaffarpur-Sitamarhi-Sonewarsha Road (NH-77), which is a part of Ramjanki Marg, will be ready by May 2021.
This road link will provide a smooth and fast journey between Jakanpur Dham in Nepal and India, the minister said, adding that the Ramjanaki Marg is being constructed between Ayodhya and Janakpuri (in Nepal), of which 240 km of road fall in Bihar. This road will be completed at the cost Rs 2,700 crore. The works on 177 km of the Marg will be completed by June 2021 while the works on the rest (around 63 km) will start in March 2021.
The event on Thursday was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Ministers R K Singh and V K Singh, among others.
Gadkari announced that as proposed by the Chief Minister and local MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the ministry has approved a four-lane elevated road from Bharauli (Buxar) to Haidaria for providing connectivity to the Poorvanchal Expressway.
The detailed project report (DPR) for this 17 km-long link road will be ready by June next year.
The road transport ministry has also approved the widening of the 70-km Mokama- Munger road, for which DPR will be completed by April next.
Similarly, work on widening of Muzzaffpur-Barauni road will start soon.
"The proposal of four-laning of Khagaria-Purnea road (NH-31) has also been approved and its DPR will be ready by the coming April.
"The four-laning of Muzaffarpur- Sitamarhi-Sonewarsha road (NH-77), which is part of Ramjanki Marg, will simplify the travel to Jakanpur Dham (Nepal), and its DPR will be ready May next year," the statement said.
Gadkari also referred to the proposals sent by Union Minister R K Singh for the development of road networks in Bihar.
He said keeping in view his suggestions, a new alignment has been prepared for the Sasaram-Aarah-Patna Greenfield project. On the Aarah Ringroad, 90% work will be covered by the existing three projects, he added.